


The Importance Of Where You Pitch Your Tent

by darknessandrageandkittens



Category: Naruto
Genre: Bickering, Camping, Emotions, Fluff, Gen, kakashi is a dog dad who loves his pups, the team has a camping trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-16 22:50:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21279041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darknessandrageandkittens/pseuds/darknessandrageandkittens
Summary: Team Seven has a training expedition in the forest. For once, no legendary assassins show up to ruin it!





	The Importance Of Where You Pitch Your Tent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BoostThatGold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoostThatGold/gifts).

It had been Kakashi-sensei’s idea, officially, but Sakura suspected it was more him giving in to their begging for training than making an official decision. Sensei can be as lazy as a Nara sometimes, she thought to herself. Eyeing the man in question, her seemingly enthralled teacher looked up from his book to give her one of his eye smiles. HE COULD AT LEAST HELP SET UP, THE BASTARD! 

A loud groaning came from the other side of the tent, as Naruto tried and failed again to set the stakes properly.

“Can you PLEASE give me the hammer now, idiot?”

“LIKE YOU COULD DO ANY BETTER!”

“A blind monkey could do a better job than you, dobe.”

“OH YEAH?”

The spine of Kakashi’s book made a satisfying thunk against her teammate’s skulls.

“Now, now, students. Save that fire for the nighttime. It gets cold when the sun goes down.” He looked up at the canopy covering their small campsite. “Which should be happening within the next hour or so, so I would get a move on with the tent, hm?”

Sakura soothed her Inner’s rage with thoughts of finally being able to rest when it was done. Kakashi had ran them for miles around the village before picking what he insisted was the perfect spot. Exhausted, Sakura marveled that her teammates had any energy left to try and kill each other.

But energy they had, and since their sensei had conveniently lost the instructions to set up the tent and insisted that pitching it themselves was part of the training, none of it was being used constructively.

“One day,” she muttered to herself, “I’ll be strong enough to clobber these two.”

The wind in the leaves made no confirmation, merely toyed with her hair before moving on to find someone more interesting than a few baby shinobi who couldn’t even manage to pitch a tent.

Finally, after much bickering, glaring, and at least three declarations of eternal rivalry, they had a halfway acceptable structure. Exhausted, Sakura collapsed on the hard ground, staring up at the fading dapples of sunlight. 

“Well done, my adorable students! You didn’t need my help after all.”

The trio groaned bitterly.

“You all seem to have this well in hand. Enjoy!”

Sasuke glared up from the ground. Despite the dirt smudged on his cheek and many dead leaves in his hair, it still came across as quite cold and solemn.

“You mean you aren’t staying with us.”

Kakashi laughed, scratching awkwardly at the side of his face.

“Ahhh, I would love nothing more than to spend the night with my little students. However,” he cut himself off with a forced cough, “I fear I am coming down with something. Could be contagious. Surely unwise to spend the night on the ground in the woods. But! I have absolute faith in you all! I’ll come by tomorrow to pick you up. Be sure to wake up bright and early!”

“Oh good,” Naruto muttered, “Then we have till noon at least.”

“Remember! This exercise is about teamwork! Communication! As ninja, you will have to share uncomfortable spaces with your team. You will have to bunker down in harsh conditions, and get used to each other’s nitpicking. I know this seems like I’m just making you go on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere alone, but this mission will help improve your teamwork. Now. I’m going to go pester Gai into making me nice hot tea, and to finish my chapter. Farewell, team! Sakura, try not to let them kill each other.”

And with that, he vanished.

There was an awkward silence. Finally, Sasuke sighed.

“Please tell me someone at least brought something to eat.”

Naruto frowned.

“Depends.”

Sasuke raised his head to glare suspiciously at his teammate.

“Depends? Depends on what.”

Naruto beamed.

“Do you think you could use your jutsu to get a fire started?”

Sakura groaned.

“Naruto, you didn’t.”

Ruffling through his pack enthusiastically, the boy pulled out a small pot and several packages of instant ramen.

“It’s like Iruka-sensei always said! Be prepared!”

Sasuke sighed.

“It’s better than nothing. Sakura?”

A tired moan rose up in response.

“Think you can get some firewood? You’re the best tree-climber, after all.”

Sakura snorted, hands covering her face.

“You’re just saying that because you don’t want to get up either.”

“I have to save my chakra for the fire jutsu!”

Naruto scoffed.

“Yeah right, teme. Besides, everyone knows green wood isn’t good for a fire. It’s too smoky! You have to look for dry kindling.”

Sakura and Sasuke stared in shock.

“That’s. Actually right, Naruto. Good job.”

Naruto rolled his eyes.

“Please, Sakura. I spend the majority of my time off eating. Anyone who’s gone to the barbecue could tell you that.”

Sasuke hummed in admission.

“Fair enough. I still need to save my chakra, though. Sakura?”

“Fine,” she growled, standing and brushing the leaf litter and dirt off her dress, “I’ll get the stupid firewood.”

“Let me come with you, Sakura!”

She grinned.

“Thanks, Naruto. See?” She stuck her tongue out. “It’s called teamwork.”

Sasuke waved his hand in dismissal.

“Yeah, yeah.”

-

They collected enough brush and twigs to build a small fire, and soon the water in the pot was boiling and the noodles were cooking in broth.

Sighing in content, the three ninja leaned back on their bedrolls and luxuriated in the warmth and their first true rest of the day.

“This is going to taste so much better than ration bars,” Sakura crooned.

“For sure.” Her teammates nodded in agreement, eyes half closed in relaxation.

Time passed in a slow golden haze. Watching, their breath started to mist up the air, and they drew closer to the fire. Passing around cups, they each ate their fill of the hot soup and noodles, bodies slumping against each other in exhaustion.

“We’re gonna have to put the fire out,” Sasuke murmured. 

“You do it,” Sakura whispered, head drooping to her chin.

“Tch. Fine.”

He fell backwards and tried not to breathe too heavily.

“Naruto, you do it.”

“Whatever.”

Too tired to trade insults or argue, he stamped out the dying coals, extinguishing the rest with leftover broth and covering it all with dirt.

“Noooooooo,” Sakura whined, “It’s cold now!”

“I know,” Sasuke grumbled bitterly into the ground, “It’s awful.”

Naruto cocked his head at his teammates. He was warm enough, heat radiating from inside. Perhaps being a jinchuuriki had fringe benefits.

“Inside the tent, assholes.”

Two separate hands flew up to salute him.

“Classy.”

With much grumbling and carrying on, the three of them dragged their sleeping rolls into the cramped tent. Wary of the cold, Naruto placed himself in the middle, grinning in the dark when they both inched in closer seeking the heat he was giving off.

“You’re like a furnace,” Sasuke mumbled in awe. Sakura merely nodded, half asleep.

Silently, the three lay in their slipshod shelter, sharing warmth and enjoying the stillness. It shocked everyone when Sasuke broke the ice.

“I can’t remember the last time I did this with someone,” he whispered.

Naruto’s hand silently found his in the dark.

“I know what you mean. You get used to sleeping alone. To doing everything alone. Dreaming you won’t, then waking up alone anyway.

Sasuke nodded, squeezing his hand softly before slipping it away.

“Me too,” Sakura softly admitted. 

“Huh?”

“My only friend was Ino, and then we. Well, you know. We stopped hanging out. My house is usually busy. We’re civilians, in a ninja village, which means both my parents have to work hard to support us. I have to take care of myself, most of the time. It’s not the same as you guys, I know it isn’t. But I know what it’s like to fall asleep alone. Wake up and get yourself ready alone. Walk to school alone. Wishing someone would walk beside you.”

“Yeah,” Sasuke muttered.

“Well,” Naruto said, with a slow cheerfulness, “At least now we’re not alone anymore. We’re a team!”

The others smiled in the dark.

“Yeah!”

“A team.”

Silently, they all huddled in even closer, taking comfort in the easy contact that would come so rarely for them. Slowly they slid to sleep.

High in the trees above them, their sensei sighed.

“I told you it would work, boss.”

“I never doubted you for a minute, Pakkun.”

“Pups are all the same. You walk em around until they tire themselves out, and they’ll pile up for a nap. No matter how many legs or tails they have.”

Kakashi laughed as he looked down on his sleeping students. They deserved their rest. He would keep watch as they slept. Smiling under his mask, he turned the page of his book.

**Author's Note:**

> Hatake Kakashi: Children? Puppies? I see no difference. Kids are kids.
> 
> Crazy how we never see Sakura's parents. Isn't it.


End file.
